The CBS Logo

The CBS broadcasting company started out as United Independent Broadcasting, a small radio broadcasting organization. Now, however, CBS has grown to become the 2nd largest broadcasting company in the world with a slew of popular television shows and radio stations around the world. This has resulted in quite a bit of exposure and the brand recognition of CBS has skyrocketed and shows no sign of slowing down.

One important factor in CBS’s success is the distinctive look of their logo. Millions of people across the planet are able to recognize the distinctive “eye” of the CBS logo. This kind of recognition is vital for the growth of any company and anyone who seeks to create a branding empire of their own should consider the history of the CBS logo.

Logo#1-Spotlight

The very first logo of CBS was simple, but expressive. The logo, which was introduced in the 1940’s showed the CBS name in big block letters with a spotlight shining down upon it from off-camera. The big block letters were meant to make the logo that much more obvious to possible new consumer. The spotlight served to remind everyone that CBS was all about entertainment.

Logo#2-The Eye

In 1951, CBS revealed its new, remarkably eye-like, logo. This logo was actually based off a Pennsylvania Dutch hex sign that one of the staff knew. While from odd origins, this logo hit all the right notes. The eye shape of the logo presented the focus of CBS at the time quite well. As CBS was branching out into television, the eye symbolized the gaze of Americans who wanted a new and enjoyable television program. Since introduced, the eye device has never left the CBS logo. In this logo, both the eye icon and the CBS name are of the same size, with the eye being to the right of the CBS name. This shows that CBS sought to gain new viewers by pushing both the name and the logo.

Logo#3-The Updated Eye

CBS realized they had a winner in their logo, so decided to not mess with perfection too much. The next logo of theirs was relatively identical to the previous one except for some minor details. First the eye logo was moved to the left of the CBS name instead of the right. This was important in that assured that the CBS eye would be seen first. This showed how much faith CBS put in the power of their brand. They also streamlined the logo in order to make it seem more approachable and stylish.

Why the Logo Works

The logo probably works for two different reasons. First is the very important factor of time. CBS has had decades to build up its brand, to appeal to a wide range of people. Over time that’s brought in generations of viewers who trust and respect CBS. Such loyalty is incredibly important for any company and important to cultivate.

Second is probably the effectiveness of their logo. The simple eye symbol of the logo sums up what the CBS brand is all about and that tends to stick in people’s minds when they seek out entertainment.